Russian Double With Davydenko Also Winning

Myskina rises again in Moscow
Vaidisova, F-Lo, Haehnel also triumph

By Matthew Cronin, TennisReporters.net

Siggi Bucher

Myskina regained her Slam-winning from in Moscow.

After her lousy week in Bali, which followed her disastrous US Open and her heart wrenching Olympic experience, one couldn’t help think that Anastasia Myskina might pack it in and forget about making a strong run at the year end No. 1 spot. Maybe all the hometown loving Muscovite needed was just a couple of days to re-root herself in Russia for the to rediscover her desire. Because after a desultory performance in the Filderstadt semis just 10 days ago, Myskina soared above Red Square once again, upsetting nemesis Lindsay Davenport in the semis and then predictably thrashing her friend Elena Dementieva 7-5, 6-0 in the Kremlin Cup final on Sunday.

Now Myskina is just a few fantastic weeks away from No. 1. With No. 1 Davenport flu-ridden sick and out of Zurich and No. 2 Amelie Mauresmo hobbled but playing again, Myskina has a tremendous opportunity to seize the top spot. If she does so, she won’t be a flag-less No. 1 like Davenport and Mauresmo are. With her Roland Garros title, she could end the year as a very legitimate queen of her sport. Defending her crown in Moscow will ease the seemingly unending pain that Myskina felt after gagging a 5-1 in the third set lead over Justine Henin-Hardenne in Athens.

"It's been over a month now since the Olympics and time will also help me to heal my wounds," Myskina said. Myskina’s 6-4, 7-6(1) victory over Davenport in the semis was simply huge. She had never won a set off the intimidating American in four previous matches (including a defeat in the Filderstadt semis). Yes, Davenport was suffering from the flu, but Myskina was finally able to dig into points and not get hit off the court too early.

After massively improving her forehand this year, Myskina is now quite comfortable going toe-to-toe with Dementieva. She’s also grabbed a massive psychological edge over her childhood friend by proving in the French final has she has far better nerves in big matches. Myskina now leads 6-4 in her head-to-head contests with Dementieva, who despite the defeat, jumped to No. 5 in the rankings behind Svetlana Kuznetsova. But that did nothing to quell Dementieva miserable post match feelings. She served for the first set at 5-3 and then completely fell apart in the second set.

"Both of us knew that winning the first set was the key to the whole match because we were both getting tired from the week-long tournament," said Dementieva, who beat Elena Bovina in the semis.
"In the second set, I just didn't put up much of a fight. We've played many times since a young age. I used to beat her more often then but now she knows my game very well and uses it to her advantage…I'm prepared to do whatever it takes to overcome my nerves, my poor serve. I'll seek a psychologist, anything I can find to help me beat her (Myskina)."

Thirteen of the Top 20 are in Zurich this week for the Tier 1 $1.3 million Swisscom Challenge. As reported last week by TennisReporters.net, Serena Williams did withdraw from the tournament. She claimed she’s still suffering from a knee injury, but TR.net has been told that she simply didn’t want to travel to Europe again. Davenport pulled out with the flu so Mauresmo decided to replace Davenport, even though she pulled a stomach muscle just eight days ago, forcing her to retire during the Filderstadt final. Dementieva – who almost never takes a week off – is the third seed. Maria Sharapova is the No. 4 seed and will finally get some real competition after dancing through weak fields in Seoul and Tokyo. The Wimbledon champion plays either Russian wildcard Vera Douchevina or Daniela Hantuchova for a quarterfinal berth. No. 6 Vera Zvonareva and No. 7 Venus Williams both need strong weeks if they are to qualify for the WTA Championships. Zvonareva meets Alicia Molik or Silvia Farina Elia in the second round and Williams will get a shot at revenge against Croatian Karolina Sprem, who upset her at Wimbledon.

Susan Mullane/Camerawork USA

Greg Rusedski and Guillermo Cañas came up just short.

The Reason's for Tier IVs: Vaidisova
The boys over at the Tennis-X web site asked why we took a cut at them last week for criticizing the Tashkent Open draw. They responded they weren’t necessarily ripping the draw, only the WTA for running Tier IV tournaments during the same week as Tier 1s. The criticism is simply not justified. Tier IIIs and IVs are constructed for up-and-comers who are shut out of Tier 1s (say nearly everyone outside of the Top 28 in a 32-draw). Young players need places to play if they are going to improve. So do veterans on the way back and Top-50 players looking to add more points so that in a few weeks time, they might have enough points to qualify for a Tier 1.

Uzbekistan is not a wealthy enough country to be able to afford a Tier II. So why shouldn’t the WTA grant them a license to host a smaller event if fans there are willing to come out and watch? It’s about expanding the sport, guys. Whether some fans reading the agate are confused is besides the point. Who tells the Tampa Bay Devil Rays not to play the Kansas City Royals in September when they are a combined 60 games out of the pennant race?

Moreover, Tier IV tournaments on the women’s side can, at times, be far more interesting than the Tier II (World or International Series) tournaments on the ATP side, especially when three of them are being run concurrently the week ahead of a Tennis Masters tournament. Take Tashkent, where fifteen-year-old Nicole Vaidisova won her second title on Sunday by taking down France’s Virginie Razzano 5-7, 6-3, 6-2. "In the end I overpowered her," Vaidisova said.

I’m going to go out on a very a strong limb and predict that the big Czech Vaidisova will have a far more successful career than any of the three men who won ATP titles on Sunday: Feliciano Lopez (Vienna), Nikolay Davydenko (Moscow) and Jerome Haehnel (Metz). That’s not to short Davydenko’s accomplishment, as the 23-year-old won his first Kremlin Cup title by overcoming the revived Greg Rusedski 3-6, 6-3, 7-5. But Davydenko does not have top five potential like Vaidisova has.

Nonetheless, he thrilled the sold-out crowd by fighting off three match points when serving at 4-5 in the final set. Davydenko won the fourth ATP title of his career and became the fourth Russian to win the title after Andrei Cherkasov, Alexander Volkov and five-time winner Yevgeny Kafelnikov. Russian men have won nine of 15 titles at the Kremlin Cup. "One of my dreams was to win the Kremlin Cup and I just can't believe it now," said Davydenko, who bested countryman Mikhail Youzhny in the semis. "To play here before this crowd is such a big pressure, that's why this win is so important. It's the happiest day of my life."

Lopez is also experiencing utter joy after winning his first career ATP title at the BA-CA Tennis Trophy, with a three-hour, 35 minute over the red hot Guillermo Cañas. The Argentine was looking for his fourth ATP title of 2004, having won in Stuttgart, Umag and Shanghai. Lopez will jump back into the Top 30 while Canas will be back in the Top 20 for the first time since May 2003. "I’m unbelievably happy," said the serve-and-volleying Lopez. "To win my first ATP title is very important because it’s always more difficult to win your first. This title will give me confidence and help me to go up in the rankings, winning more titles and to be a good player. This is my goal."

In an all-French final at Metz, the 24-year-old Haehnel won his first career title at the Open de Moselle by defeating 18-year-old wild card Richard Gasquet 7-6(9), 6-4. Haehnel is the second qualifier to earn an ATP title this year." I can’t think at the moment. This is great and unbelievable," Haehnel said.

This week's Tennis Masters Series Madrid has a good field with Tim Henman, Andre Agassi, Marat Safin, David Nalbandian, Nicolas Massu, Juan Carlos Ferrero the top six seeds, but the absence of No. 1 Roger Federer, No. 2 Andy Roddick, No. 3 Lleyton Hewitt, No. 4 Guillermo Coria and No. 6 Carlos Moya has to hurt.

IN DEFENSE OF THE AGASSI DEFENSE
The Agassi fan club came in strong after I wrote a column criticizing him for not playing the Davis Cup final against Spain. Much thanks for the feedback people, but please, next time, attempt to counter my arguments as to why he should play, rather than saying that you think he is a god and god should not be criticized. Again, the core of my argument is that had Agassi decided to play and manage to lead his country to the title, it would be a bigger accomplishment than winning another Australian Open. I also believe that his sport needs his participation in Davis Cup far more than it needs him playing the same mid-sized tournaments he plays every year.